In Search of an Ending
by Ducky and trip hazard
Summary: Aida/TL5Y Crossover: After her divorce, Cathy wasn't sure that love could withstand human nature, but Andrew and Celina set out to prove her wrong, facing trials of their own along the way. PLEASE R&R! PLEASE!!!


_**Authors' Note:**_ Hello, all! This is an interesting venture for the both of us, so we hope you enjoy it. This chapter is just to set up our situation and introduce our characters (and half of our reincarnated couple). Please leave feedback and suggestions!   
  
_**Disclaimer:**_ The recognizable characters aren't ours- although we might wish that we could get my hands on Mereb or Radames- for all intents and purposes, we'll just say that they're Disney's. We;re just borrowing for my own entertainment. Taking me to court would so not be in your best interest. We're teenager, we have nothing. The plot, etc. are all ours, so we don't want to see it under anyone else's nom deplume. Ciao!  
  


* * *

  
Cathy Wellerstein leaned her head against the back of the couch, wisps of her blonde hair clinging to the wine-red fabric. She stretched her flannel-clad legs onto the glass top of the coffee table and sighed. Fragments of Technicolor light radiated from the boughs of the Christmas tree, dancing on the crystalline face of the watch Jamie had given her that first Christmas. Her soft, blue eyes changed countenance and shifted to the branches of the conifer. Her lean body supported by her fianceè's hands, Celina Harris dropped some tinsel haphazardly onto the needled limbs of the tree, stopping every so often to decorate the man behind her. His own limbs teeming with tinsel, Toby Warner grinned, kissing the hollow of his fianceè's ear.   
  
Cathy sighed. It had been five years since she had spent the holidays alone, an independent woman. Now, watching Celina and Toby, the pain of her crash-landing had returned.   
  
Celina turned her head, holding out a clump of delapidated silver for her friend. Cathy shrugged, swinging her legs from the table and sauntering towards the tree.   
  
"Girl, it's good to have you back again," Celina remarked as Cathy took the handful of tinsel.   
  
Cathy nodded. "I know."   
  
"No one can keep the dynamic duo apart," Celina continued, her dark hands threading the tinsel around a few blinking lights. "I'm glad you moved back in, hon. It's pretty boring without you."   
  
"Hey!" Toby protested.   
  
Celina grinned, swiveling to face Toby. She cupped his soft, brown face in her hand and kissed his jawline. "Baby, there ain't no competing with Cathy."   
  
Toby shrugged, "Whatever."   
  
"Toby, don't worry," Cathy interjected quietly. "I'll be out of here before you know it. I just need to find a job first."   
  
Toby sighed. "Look, Cel. I'm going to bed. See you in a few?"   
  
Celina sighed, "Sure, honey."   
  
"'Night, Cathy," Toby said.   
  
"Good night," Cathy acknowledged. Toby nodded, and kissed Celina roughly on the cheek. She smiled slightly, her eyes cast at the floor.   
  
"I'll be in in a few minutes, okay?" she called after him.   
  
"Sure."   
  
Their bedroom door closed quietly, and Celina sighed, sliding down next to the tree.   
  
"I'm sorry, Cath. He can get pretty possessive sometimes."   
  
Cathy smiled. "It's all right. Trust me. You'd rather have him be possessive than not care about you."   
  
"Oh, Cathy. I could kill Jamie for everything he did to you."   
  
"Whatever. It's over and done with."   
  
Celina smiled lopsidedly at her friend. "Babe, so this job thing..."   
  
Cathy grinned, pulling her blonde locks off of her neck. "I actually did find one today, but, you know, I didn't want to ruin Toby's little temper tantrum."   
  
"That it was! But you found one?"   
  
Cathy nodded, "It's at this bar called Spafrica. I'll be waitressing, and then I have time during the day to get some auditions in."  
  
"That's great. Really it is," Celina replied. "I think Toby needs a little bit of a break from the two of us, if you know what I mean."   
  
"I do. I need a little break from _Toby,_ myself, if you know what I mean."   
  
Celina laughed. "Really, Cath, I've missed having you around. After college, it was kind of crazy, what with you marrying Jamie and everything. I missed you."   
  
"I missed you, too."   
  
Celina pushed herself from the carpet, sauntering over to Cathy and wrapping the other woman in her arms. "Good night, Cathy."   
  
"'Night, Cel."   
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
